Walmart’s Sustainability Strategy

Not only Wal-Mart is saving money for consumers, Wal-Mart creates jobs, improve economic conditions and overall improve the areas in where they operate. Wal-Mart usually open in rural and down trotted areas. A perfect example is Carol Foote. She and her friend Paula Beaulieu started a petition to open a

Economic - Wal-Mart’s economic performance has been outstanding and its goal of providing quality merchandise at low cost to consumers fits well within this objective. Its stakeholders expect continual improvement to its bottom line, which is especially important to its shareholders, as they are the ones sharing in that return. “…2013, Walmart increased net sales by 5% to $466.1 billion and returned $13 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases” (573). As we will discuss later on, the struggle comes when the company tries to do this in a sustainable and ethical way. Further, the company must provide fair paying jobs and profit to shareholders with as little impact as possible to local merchants. This can be done by purchasing from U.S. manufacturers whenever possible.

Wal-Mart should project a community friendly, environment caring and employee welfare seeking brand image to combat. Emerging threats. Investment in sustainability initiatives like solar energy and recycling could be possible opportunities.

Wal-mart may be a topic of controversy but they also have a huge effect on the scale of global social responsibility.

In terms of labor Wal-Mart ensures that the salaries its pays are typically above minimum wage, with regular semi-annual pay raises. Wal-Mart complies with all labor laws of the United States and has set the standard for many of its competitors. Walmart has also made many triumphs in striving to create zero waste, to operate with 100% renewable energy and sell products that sustain our resources and the environment. Walmart realized the effect the company was having globally which prompted them to continue to work with others to pursue improvements in economic, environmental and social outcomes. Walmart has realized that they can make a difference and work hard to create and be the difference. They have become the most trusted retailer

Is Wal-Mart a socially responsible corporation? Discuss using Hall’s article as your starting point and the different views of corporate responsibility presented in class. (This essay should argue to a definitive conclusion).

Perhaps this is giving Walmart a free ride in the media/marketing as being sustainable without any parties doing their due diligence to verify the actual numbers. As Senge explained, perhaps “Walmart is using going green to offset negative press for treatment of its employees” due their recent lawsuit losses and settlements (Senge, 2010, p. 114). Although Walmart should be commended for its sustainability portfolio, I believe the results of their goals need to be looked at from proportional aspect as well as how/where Walmart sources their products.

Walmart launched a massive business sustainability strategy in October 2005. The initiative strived to reduce the company 's impact on the global environment. In a speech broadcasted to the entire company worldwide, Walmart 's president and CEO Lee Scott pleaded that, "being a good steward of the environment and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same"(pg. 1). He also identified three goals: to be supplied by 100% renewable energy, zero waste and sell products that uphold the environment. It was clear that sustainability in the 21st century was not only for environmental purposes, but also for doing good business.

Wal-Mart is a truly global corporation that runs chains of large discount department and warehouse stores across the globe. Wal-Mart is designated by Forbes as the world's 18th largest corporation; Wal-Mart is also the world's biggest private employer in the world, boasting over 2 million employees, making it the world's largest private retailer (Faber, 2012). Wal-Mart emphasizes that its vision is simply saving people money so they can live better, and Wal-Mart leaders have made it their mission to embed this vision in into all aspects of the business. Wal-Mart's business model was developed in a manner that respects customers, shareholders, associates and communities around the world. Its stated philosophy and overall business strategy relies on a simple idea created by founder Sam Walton: offer shoppers lower prices than they can get anywhere else, and it is this basic strategy that has shaped Wal-Mart's culture and driven the company's growth to its position of power within the world market (Walmart Corporate, 2012). Yet Wal-Mart has come under intense criticism for some of their operating practices in regards to their employees and their environmental record. This paper will analyze Wal-Mart's performance over the last couple of years.

(Torres, Garcia-French, Hordijk,& Nguyen 2012, p. 25). Furthermore, Walmart has committed itself to three specific goals to be accomplished in the near future. “Using 100% renewable energy, creating zero waste and selling products that sustain people and the environment” (Torres, Garcia-French. Hordijk, & Nguyen 2012,

The business reasons for adopting sustainability practices are reducing costs, generating new revenue streams, increasing market share, improving external image, reducing compliance and litigation risks, attracting and retaining labor talent, and attracting capitol. All three of these projects relate to several of these reasons. It is important to consider that Walmart has just recently implemented most of their sustainability projects, there has not been enough time

Due to increasing environmental imbalances, it is necessary for firms to achieve competitive advantages in the area of environmental convergence as well. Wal-Mart is putting continuous efforts from a long time for environment sustainability and energy conservation. It also received Aspen Institute Energy and Environment award for Corporate Energy Efficiency in 2009. Here are a few steps that Wal-Mart has taken to encourage environmental sustainability:

Wal-Mart now has to rebuild their images, procedures on how they conduct business nationwide and how the use ethical business practices. The New York time article reported, “Wal-Mart announces new ethical and environmental principles complete by 2012”. (Robinson, 2008)

A. The Wal-Mart China work in co-operation with the government and employees in advancing sustainability. The best practices known by Wal-Mart should be shared with government and employees to reduce carbon footprints. Also Wal-Mart should abide by the regulations of the government pertaining to sustainability and also Wal-Mart should voluntarily adopt best practices which lead to greater sustainability. The employees should be trained for reducing carbon footprints resulting from their actions and should be rewarded to encourage them to continue addressing sustainability issues.

Wal-Mart also has a green goal. It claims that their environmental goal is to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain our natural resources and the environment(Wal-Mart website 2008).